Rebooteroids - Public Testing Phase (And user created level submission)

[rayik]

Been playing with both jag pad and persijn made rotary controller. Both ways work fine. Personal preference is jag pad. For me, control of the ship is better with the pad. A fun game indeed

[+CyranoJ]

Restarted game and both controllers are dead. No response. And no sound either. Each level now just times out.

 

And the end of that, the game again determines Player 1 is the winner. But now it is impossible to navigate away from the "Kombat is over" screen.

 

Thanks! The multi player menu screen was using the old (broken) DSP shutdown code, this has now been swapped

 

other changes:

• A minor bug in the animator that caused the first frame of an animation to be missed when object rotating anti-clockwise has been corrected. sh3 noticed this about 4-5 years ago but it was ignored/forgotten about
• Some tweeks to the time required to enter the green bonus mode
• Fixed the bad level Sauron found (and then the other 5 levels later on that would have had potentially similar issues
• Enjoying not having to worry about Xenon II: Megablast! any longer

ROM in the first post. Again, I'd like the focus to be on testing the multiplayer/kombateroids if possible.

Edited June 4, 2016 by CyranoJ

[walter_J64bit]

 

ROM in the first post. Again, I'd like the focus to be on testing the multiplayer/kombateroids if possible.

Multiplayer Jag link?

[oracle_jedi]

Been playing the 2016-06-04 ROM as time allows.

 

All of the issues with Kombateroids seem to have been resolved. I was unable to get the game to fail in any way.

 

My only remaining comment is that on NTSC machines, there is a small area outside of the visible play area where rocks can float and the player can't see them.

 

If that's an intended feature ok, but I am wondering if on PAL machines there is more of the play area visible on screen.

 

Great game and I look forward to the official "put me on the list" thread

[Goochman]

I also had rocks which were not visible on my NTSC screen - I chalked it up to the TV I was using, but if someone else noticed this then I will second it. I actually once had a rock that was in a pattern in the offscreen area - drove me nuts shooting everywhere to find it

[+Saturn]

I've had the asteroid off screen as well. I randomly shoot up and down the left edge of the screen to destroy it. Didn't know others had the issue too or that it was a thing.

[rayik]

Same here with rocks off screen. Thought it was a feature to increase difficulty

 

Also, I have a suggestion on the level progression. I like the way the game ramps up in difficulty. Then after a really hard level, the next couple are easier. Nice. However when playing from level 1 the game reaches one of those very difficult levels just before the next 1UP. It's game over instantly. This could be avoided by changing when that level appears or allow the player to accumulate more than three lives. (As it is, when you play if you have max lives any additional awarded ones are just lost and not accumulated)

 

I have to play again to identify the level. On just about every game I can make it to that level with max lives. Bamm, game over. Its around the 288,000 - 300,000 mark. Please either move the level or my preference, allow the player to accumulate more lives than you start with.

 

When I get a chance to play the game, I'll post the level.

 

 

 

 

 

make

[+Sauron]

The level difficulty is currently being reworked, so don't fret too much about how they are ordered right now.

[rayik]

The level difficulty is currently being reworked, so don't fret too much about how they are ordered right now.

OK. It's got a cheap death at the start. On all other levels your ship does not appear on the screen until you press a button. On this level the ship appears automatically in the path of a rock which immediately hits the ship. One quick death.

 

I've played this game a lot and have gotten pretty good at it. I'd be willing to play test and help with ordering the levels. BITD this game would have been a Jag best seller. It's far better than most of the released games.

[+CyranoJ]

OK. It's got a cheap death at the start. On all other levels your ship does not appear on the screen until you press a button. On this level the ship appears automatically in the path of a rock which immediately hits the ship. One quick death.

 

I've played this game a lot and have gotten pretty good at it. I'd be willing to play test and help with ordering the levels. BITD this game would have been a Jag best seller. It's far better than most of the released games.

 

Which level? That autostart is a single byte change in the level file

[82-T/A]

I can't wait for this game to come out. It's kind of like a Jaguar "2000" version of Asteroids. I'm going to rock this game...

 

[rayik]

Which level? That autostart is a single byte change in the level file

Level 44 - Freeze (Say Rock)

 

Ship appears automatically facing 12 o'clock. You die about second later from rock coming from 7 - 8 o'clock. Really cheap death. Only way to survive is know ahead of time this level is coming and spin to right and accelerate as level starts

[+CyranoJ]

Level 44 - Freeze (Say Rock)

 

Ship appears automatically facing 12 o'clock. You die about second later from rock coming from 7 - 8 o'clock. Really cheap death. Only way to survive is know ahead of time this level is coming and spin to right and accelerate as level starts

Thanks. Will edit this one.

 

Open testing for the win!

[+CyranoJ]

OK, I changed it so the ship starts slightly lower, pointing downward - the rock heading towards you misses, and if you start with thrust you'll move out of it's way.

 

[+CyranoJ]

Well, I was going to keep something back for the final release, but decided that you've all been so supportive of this that I'll just put this out there for everyone.

 

So, here is Rebooteroids - 20160702-1517.ROM - Release Candidate #1 (Find in the first post)

• Above level fixed
• Jukebox added
• Bonus rounds in (Skill shots) which you can earn a free life
• Maximum 9 lives
• Level number displayed (Bottom right)
• Level order changed
• Fixed the above level
• Spawn marker so you know where you'll be
• Hyperspace out on level complete
• Pause
• Some other minor stuff I can't remember

Enjoy!

Edited July 2, 2016 by CyranoJ

[rayik]

Maximum 9 lives

Thank you

[Sporadic]

Just had a play of the new version. The extra features you've added really improve the already superb experience. Even being able to pause now means a long play session doesn't have to be cut short cause life happens

 

One thing I noticed was the level number in the bottom right corner is cut off. I can only see the first digit and a slither of the second. This is whilst running on Pal with a pal tv.

 

Thanks for sharing the latest build

[rayik]

Nice subtle changes. Like:

 

[****] Level # on bottom of screen (on NTSC through frameister xrgb mini it is not cut off)

 

[****] Really like how multiplier takes longer to reset

 

[****] Flashing square on some levels showing where you are going to appear

 

[****] Slight pause when level is complete

 

[****] Bonus screen - didn't figure it out until 3rd time on it

 

[****] Seems like game is generally slightly speed up on some levels. Enjoyed the slightly increased difficulty.

 

To me, the most difficult levels are where rocks are traveling in different directions with no patterns. First game played made it to level 50 with score in 320k. Most deaths were on easy levels when I got lazy.

 

Still do not like two tier scoring system.

 

One suggested change: on levels where UFO appears, you can run up score by leaving one small rock on screen, fly around to green ship and shot UFO as it appears. You can run up the score by not shooting last rock. Suggest logic to stop UFO from appearing when rocks ≤ x number. (Please do not bring back timer bar)

 

You keep refining and improving the game. Thank you

 

 

 

******* EDIT

 

While I do not like the two tier scoring, I can see the logic to it. There is a shump tradition of rewarding / encouraging a style of play with greater points. In that context it makes sense.

[+CyranoJ]

Just had a play of the new version. The extra features you've added really improve the already superb experience. Even being able to pause now means a long play session doesn't have to be cut short cause life happens

 

One thing I noticed was the level number in the bottom right corner is cut off. I can only see the first digit and a slither of the second. This is whilst running on Pal with a pal tv.

 

Thanks for sharing the latest build

 

Thanks i just tried on PAL (My bad for not testing it there) and yes, it is cut off. It also seems to draw some odd graphics 2 lines below the score which isn't on NTSC. I guess this is why we have release candidates! I'll fix this up in the next build.

 

[****] Bonus screen - didn't figure it out until 3rd time on it

 

[****] Seems like game is generally slightly speed up on some levels. Enjoyed the slightly increased difficulty.

 

Still do not like two tier scoring system.

 

One suggested change: on levels where UFO appears, you can run up score by leaving one small rock on screen, fly around to green ship and shot UFO as it appears. You can run up the score by not shooting last rock. Suggest logic to stop UFO from appearing when rocks ≤ x number. (Please do not bring back timer bar)

 

 

Bonus Screen - Well, when this gets a release hopefully that'll be in the manual.

 

Speeds - I haven't touched the game speed at all.

 

Two Tier Scoring - It's here to stay. Playing risks should be rewarded!

 

UFO - yes, that's a good idea - I'll see if I can implement it.

 

Thanks for the comments!

[+CyranoJ]

BTW, I'm not pedantic in my filenames, here's the end of my build script

for /f "delims=" %%a in ('wmic OS Get localdatetime  ^| find "."') do set "dt=%%a"
set "YYYY=%dt:~0,4%"
set "MM=%dt:~4,2%"
set "DD=%dt:~6,2%"
set "HH=%dt:~8,2%"
set "Min=%dt:~10,2%"

set datestamp=%YYYY%%MM%%DD%
set timestamp=%HH%%Min%

ren "roiddisk_jiffi.rom" "Rebooteroids - %datestamp%-%timestamp%.ROM"

Batch files FTW!

[+CyranoJ]

New ROM up!

• Moved the lives to the left hand side of the screen
• Moved the level number over 18 pixels
• Cropped the PAL screen height by 2 scan lines (This fixes the corruption at the end of each level on the last line)

Had a long think about not spawning the UFO if <=3 rocks, implemented it, tested it, and took it out again. What if there are two single large rocks at the start of the level? No UFO would spawn until you split them, or you could split one, and make 3 rocks, and still not get a UFO until the 2nd one was split. If people want to play a really boring game of camping for UFOs then I say I allow them to do it. It's their life they are wasting!

 

New ROM [RC1.1] in 1st post.

 

[EDITED because I can't tell left from right, apparently]

Edited July 3, 2016 by CyranoJ

[+Stephen]

Well, I was going to keep something back for the final release, but decided that you've all been so supportive of this that I'll just put this out there for everyone.

 

So, here is Rebooteroids - 20160702-1517.ROM - Release Candidate #1 (Find in the first post)

• Above level fixed
• Jukebox added
• Bonus rounds in (Skill shots) which you can earn a free life
• Maximum 9 lives
• Level number displayed (Bottom right)
• Level order changed
• Fixed the above level
• Spawn marker so you know where you'll be
• Hyperspace out on level complete
• Pause
• Some other minor stuff I can't remember

Enjoy!

Take my grd dmn money already!

[rayik]

Had a long think about not spawning the UFO if <=3 rocks, implemented it, tested it, and took it out again. What if there are two single large rocks at the start of the level? No UFO would spawn until you split them, or you could split one, and make 3 rocks, and still not get a UFO until the 2nd one was split. If people want to play a really boring game of camping for UFOs then I say I allow them to do it. It's their life they are wasting!

Are you going to have an online score repository? Comparative scoring is broken if one can milk UFOs.

 

Are there really levels with only 2 large rocks? The lowest I've seen is 3 and that is an early level (Meet the Stars) where I do not think there are any UFOs.

 

Maybe instead bring back an invisible time bar. On expiration end the level (instead of kill the player). Vary the timer by level. I can give you "fast" completion times by level if needed.

[+CyranoJ]

Online is already in. That's what the qr/webcode is for.

I'm just going to leave it. As I said if people want to waste half a day going for ufos then let them.

Edited July 3, 2016 by CyranoJ

[+CyranoJ]

I've just added a "BONUS WAVE APPROACHING" message to the Wave Complete graphic, it'll be in the next build.